Annexation

Planned Growth

Well-planned growth is a priority for our City. The Mayor and Common Council have worked together to establish an annexation policy that will support future growth opportunities in the best interest of the residents of the annexed area, the City of Lafayette, and the fiscal condition of the City of Lafayette.

Annexation Policy Plan

The City's Annexation Policy Plan was adopted in 1997 and established as a goal that all residences and businesses adjacent to the City within the services area of the water and sewer utilities be made a part of the incorporated area of the City. Significant annexations have already occurred in the areas to the east and south of the City. In 2013, a large tract of land surrounded by the City was annexed. This was the final piece in the City's long-range annexation plan.

Citizen Participation

The City believes that annexation does not have to be an adversarial process, and that when citizens are given the opportunity to participate in the process, there will be a greater understanding of why annexation can benefit all citizens. The City developed a list of Frequently Asked Questions about annexation. For more information on annexation, you can email the Economic Development Office or call 765-807-1090.

Annexation Policies Statement of Fact

According to the U.S. Census, the population has grown by 49% since 1970 and Tippecanoe County's population has grown by 58% over the same period. Furthermore, the metropolitan area, composed of Tippecanoe County and environs has grown as a result of the availability of key municipal services provided by the City of Lafayette. New developments outside the City depend largely upon the presence of the City, its residents, and its services as basis for their success. In fact, the incorporated City of Lafayette and the larger metropolitan area are 1 community.

Lafayette's annexation policy is geared toward financially sound expansion. Lafayette is committed to a transparent annexation process that includes a series of informational meetings with stakeholders. To request to be annexed into the City of Lafayette, contact the Economic Development Department.

Lafayette has recently annexed two areas:

Approximately 100 acres along the eastern border of the City was annexed in 2012.

An approximate total of 1,000 acres was annexed in various locations effective January 10th, 2013.

Recent Annexations Movie

Early Direction

Since the mid-1970's, the City of Lafayette has established a direction for policy toward annexation. Previous Ordinances and Resolutions have clearly established the City's intent to annex areas adjacent to the incorporated City, especially where new or existing developments have municipal services.

​Current City Boundaries

Statement of Purpose

For the City of Lafayette to grow in an organized, methodical, and legal manner, it is appropriate for the City's leadership, including its Administration and Common Council, to establish a formal policy governing annexation. This policy should set forth the City's parameters for determining whether annexation of a certain area would comply with state law and whether it is fiscally responsible and in the best interests of the City, its residents and the community at large.

Statement of Goals

The following Statement of Goals sets forth the policy for guiding the future growth of the incorporated City of Lafayette. The purpose of annexation is to guide and control the growth of the incorporated City of Lafayette. Therefore, the City of Lafayette has previously established the following general goals for annexation.

That all residences and businesses currently served by the City water and sewers will eventually become a part of the incorporated City. In order that the general public, especially those residences and businesses within the service area of the sewer and water utility, but currently outside the incorporated City, be fairly and properly notified, this should become a matter of general public information.

That annexation action should not result in general property tax increase within the currently incorporated community. Annexation is the response to growth, and is intended to be pursued in a manner whose fiscal impact on the incorporated City is fundamentally positive. Therefore, the annexation of areas whose problems are so great that they overwhelm the revenue streams, which could be used to solve the problems, should be discouraged.

That the City should continue to require the execution of "waivers of remonstrance" for all development which is within the service area of the water and sewer utilities. Considering the citizens of the incorporated City have purchased that the infrastructure of systems to which the new developments seek to connect, the City's agreement to extend such services in anticipation of annexation is equivalent to consensus in favor of annexation.

That all of the long-range planning for the City of Lafayette projects that the business center of the metropolitan area will become the I-65 corridor, with SR26/South Street serving as the commercial center and SR38 serving as the industrial center. As a result, the City should pursue annexation based on priorities that support the City's future planning. In real terms, therefore, the incorporated City of Lafayette will grow toward and beyond the I-65 corridor as the primary direction of growth for the City over the next 15 years, with secondary growth along US 231, to the south.

Key Points of Information

Annexation does not change your water or sewer service unless you want to change. If you want to change to City sewer or water, you must pay the same fees that any other person, in or out of the City, must pay.

The City will provide services within 1 year of the effective date of annexation (possibly sooner) to residents, including:

Police and fire protection

Snow removal

Trash and leaf pick-up

County taxes are paid by all County residents, including City residents. Your County taxes will not go down after annexation.

Property owners will not pay additional City tax (past annexations have added about 25% to 27% for those in the Lafayette School Corporation and 31% to 33% for those in the TSC School Corporation) for 1 or 2 years.

Annexation does not change school boundaries in any way.

Zoning changes, variances, building permits, and so forth will be issued by the City instead of the County.

Official drainage ditches and bridges are still the responsibility of the County, but the City will also be involved in most instances.

The City will repair streets to the same standard as other City streets within 3 years, and possibly sooner. If your street is not a public street, but is a part of your property, the City will not provide service unless it is dedicated to the City.

The City will pay the cost of street lights in your neighborhood if you petition the City to have them after an independent study by Duke Energy.

The effective date of annexation is 60 days after the publication of the annexation notice in the newspaper, usually a week or so after the 2nd owners of more than 75% of the assessed value of the land in the annexation area file remonstrance. If there is a remonstrance, a judge will decide if the City has a plan to provide City services as required by state law.

Any existing business or land use activities would be accepted under the grandfather clause.

Due to annexation, there would be no increase in insurance premiums with a possibility that they may lower depending on your carrier. Each insurance carrier is different, so ask your insurance carrier for details for your property.

If you have City water and sewer installed, well water can still be used, if it does not go into the City sewer system. To avoid contamination of City water, well water is confined to outdoor uses. The uses would be for watering the lawn or washing a car.

Public bus service area presently extends 2 miles beyond the City limits. As in the City limits, bus routes are based on demand.